Question

As soon as my laptop is heavily infected, I need to format my C: partition.Now I would like to avoid using OneKey Recovery and selecting a recovering from a backup.Instead I'd like to format C: by using a software like: DBAN and reinstall windows from the laptop's factory backup.Is that possible?

Answer

fThis would be possible if you had created a Sser's back up before. Ensure that the User's backup you created is not in Drive C:

IMPORTANT: Only Format the Drive C: / Do not delete and recreate any of the partitions. Just format it as deleting a partition may cause the OKR (One Key Recovery) software not to work.

Once done with formatting, shut down the computer and press the OKR button to launch the OKR. Select Recovery or Restore from User's back up on the prompt and select your Backup.

Gaming laptop has UFEI hidden partition and also 1 TB drive with c and d partitions.

Did not take backup for the new factory shipped configuration which worked fine. One day got lured by Win10 free upgrade offer and did a worst of things of my lifetime.

Win10 auto upgrades drivers and NVIDIA screens got into a fix. Slowly the laptop screen started bleeding with green tint.Did not have my laptop under warranty by the June 2015.

Old drivers working fine in Win 8.1 would not work . New drivers will create issues and got into a total jam.

Finally wanted to downgrade back to win 8.1 . Did not have rescue CD or DVD. Went ahead with normal Win 8.1 installation. Did not know the product key , which I believe in new systems is stored in UFEI hidden 350MB partition.

That partition still exists , even after downgrading my laptop back to Win8.1

Lenovo call centre as well as Windows online help would not help me in my issues , since these two people work only on the basis of Waranty dates.

Product keys are not available on back cover.

Now, need the following help.

1. How to restore back my machine to win 8.1 , as it came to me from Lenovo?

2. How to recreate data in 350MB OEM partition , which will need me to have Lenovo 7.0 one key recovery tool or utility which is not with me ?

4. How to recreate UFEI configuration back on my laptop , which has genuine win8.1 installation earlier ? without visiting a Lenovo centre.

5. Will lenovo recreate the partition and my disk , without my data , if approached to the service centre. ?

( On a sidenote , Lenovo bought from Amazon in USA being used by me in India at the moment. )

Many forum articles cover few things , which talks about what a user can do after buying a new laptop. None gives step by step process to restore the OS on brand new HDD or reformatted HDD to original state.